It was not just the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School. That night, Zhou Qiming had not been idle, visiting nearly every force in town to seek out experts and spar with them.
"My strength is now among the best in the area. I finally have enough power to protect myself, at least barely."
After returning home, Zhou Qiming felt delighted by his progress.
Yuan Tieyi had once been so arrogant, dismissing half a year of his efforts with a single sentence. Yet now, wasn't he still a defeated opponent?
However, Zhou Qiming did not let it go to his head. With the Jinsha Gang and the Sky Shaker Bandits still posing threats, he still had to keep a low profile and develop steadily.
Diving in shallow waters will never raise a true dragon. Zhou Qiming felt that it was time for him to leave the small town and seek development in Luoshan County Town. There was a broader world there, along with more resources.
If he wanted to restore his Root Bone Value and continue pushing his martial arts past their limits, relying solely on the Cheng Family's Medicine Shop channels and resources was far from enough.
"There's no rush. I'll leave after I break through to the Tendon Transformation Realm." Zhou Qiming's mind gradually settled.
He still had a bottle of Bone forging pills. Combined with the force he had accumulated from perfecting Muscle Cultivation, he could begin tempering his bones.
The human body had 206 bones. They had to be tempered and forged with force, and the skull bones were the most dangerous of all. Many Bone Forging Realm Martial Artists, in their pursuit of perfection in this realm, became stuck while tempering their skull bones.
Zhou Qiming's force was now practically unrivaled among Muscle Cultivation practitioners, so his Bone Forging speed would far surpass that of his peers.
The next morning, Zhou Qiming arrived at Haolai Restaurant and went to work as usual.
"Morning, Chef Zhou." Wu Wen, Wu Wu, Chen Ping, and the other assistants all greeted him with smiles, their eyes filled with envy.
It had only been a little over two months since Boss Xu had promoted him, yet he had gone from a complete novice with no foundation to a full-fledged head chef. It was simply unbelievable. Zhou Qiming's talent as a chef was terrifying!
Zhou Qiming nodded and smiled back, counting it as having greeted them. Haolai Restaurant was merely his stepping stone for the time being, and he was already on a completely different level from companions like Chen Ping.
Today was the day Xiao Tian was hosting a celebratory banquet at the restaurant. Every force in town would send someone over, if only to show respect to Yuan Tieyi.
Xiao Tian had been busy tempering the bones in both arms, and after finally reaching the Minor Bone Forging Accomplishment level, he had done so precisely to show off today.
The Iron Clothes Martial Arts School had always been one of Haolai Restaurant's biggest customers, so the kitchen was especially busy today. Preparations had begun early, and all the chefs were rushed off their feet.
The first to arrive were the school's disciples. Fang Hai, Cheng Yu, and several direct disciples took charge of the arrangements and received the guests.
Next came the Blacksmith Shop, the Cheng Family's Medicine Shop, the Liu Family Pawnshop, and even the Jinsha Gang, all sending people with congratulatory gifts.
Amid the respectful gazes of the crowd, Xiao Tian helped Yuan Tieyi up to the second floor, where they took their seats at the place of honor.
"Thank you all for honoring us with your presence. I, Xiao, am deeply grateful." Xiao Tian cupped his hands in salute, his face brimming with smugness. With his Martial Dao Achievement at his age, he could hold his head high even in the County Town or the commandery city.
"What a fine example of heroes emerging in their youth. To reach Bone Forging at such a young age—the younger generation is truly formidable."
"Hall Master Yuan has taken a fine disciple. The Iron Clothes Martial Arts School is truly impressive."
"If I had a disciple like Xiao Tian among my descendants, why would I worry about my Lineage failing to prosper?"
The elders of the various forces all offered congratulations and praise. They only regretted that Xiao Tian was not one of their own, and some had even begun thinking of arranging a marriage to win him over.
A Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist at twenty-four—the potential was terrifying. Even in this town, he could protect a Lineage and keep it flourishing for decades.
Chef Li's daughter, Li Qian, was also in a corner among the spectators, her eyes shimmering with love and admiration. She had tried several times to use various pretexts to get close to him, but her flirtatious glances had been thrown at a blind man. Xiao Tian did not even have the interest to toy with her; he simply looked down on her.
"Thank you all for attending. From now on, should anything happen, the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School will offer whatever assistance lies within our power."
As an old-established Martial Master, Yuan Tieyi also rose and delivered a few polite words.
However, the people below soon noticed that Yuan Tieyi's face was pale, as though he was feeling unwell. Could someone actually have injured him?
No one could have imagined that the person who had injured this long-renowned Martial Master was also in the restaurant at that very moment—the chef, Zhou Qiming.
"I've long heard that Nephew Xiao is a dragon among men. My Qingfeng Hall would also like to experience the might of the Iron Cloth Force."
Since everyone here practiced martial arts, a banquet naturally could not lack challenges and sparring matches.
Amid the crowd's eager anticipation, the first force to make a move was none other than Yang He, the Qingfeng Hall Master of the Jinsha Gang.
The Jinsha Gang had lost Qiu Yun and, under Jin Buhuan's orders, had been shrinking its territory these past few days. They had been choking on pent-up fury all day, desperately seeking somewhere to vent it.
Moreover, the Jinsha Gang had long suspected that the person behind the Cheng Family might very well have ties to Yuan Tieyi and the others.
Yuan Tieyi alone was already a thorny problem. Now there was also the martial arts prodigy Xiao Tian. They absolutely could not stand by and watch. If Xiao Tian were allowed to break through to the Tendon Transformation Realm, the Jinsha Gang's good days would be over!
"Tian'er, Hall Master Yang's Qingfeng Blade is quite formidable. You must be careful."
Yuan Tieyi remained utterly composed. He lowered his head and whispered into Xiao Tian's ear, pointing out some flaws in the Qingfeng Blade and explaining how to counter the Iron Cloth Skill.
"Polishing your spear at the last moment? Too late!"
Yang He gave a cold laugh, drew his blade, and swiftly slashed forward. With his vicious, seasoned experience, how could he give Xiao Tian time to receive guidance and adapt?
Swish, swish, swish!
In Yang He's hands, the Qingfeng Blade Technique danced in an impenetrable blur, like wind chasing the clouds. In the blink of an eye, his swift blade launched a fierce assault, hacking out seven or eight strikes.
Xiao Tian did not panic either. He hurriedly circulated his Iron Cloth Force to protect his body. His palms swept about, catching the other man's blade by the narrowest of margins each time, producing the ringing tremor of metal.
This was also because he had achieved Minor Bone Forging Accomplishment and finished tempering the bones in both arms, while the skin of his palms had been honed thick and tough. Only then could he barely withstand Yang He's attacks.
Having just broken through to Bone Forging, Xiao Tian had encountered an old-established expert like the Qingfeng Hall Master. He was so stifled that he nearly vomited blood, defending with every ounce of his strength. At first, he had even wanted to teach his opponent a lesson, but as the fight continued, his alarm only grew. By then, merely remaining undefeated was already more than enough.
In the distance, Zhou Qiming shook his head and stopped watching. The two of them were too weak; they could not compare at all with Bone Forging Martial Artists like Yuan Tieyi and Jin Buhuan.
In just that brief exchange, Zhou Qiming had already seen that the Qingfeng Blade Technique was riddled with flaws. Besides, the Iron Cloth Skill was not meant to be used by Xiao Tian in such a rigid, purely defensive manner. If Zhou Qiming had been the one fighting, Yang He would already have been a cold corpse.
"Brother Qiming, who do you think will win?" Chen Ping was at the age when he loved watching the excitement, and he asked curiously.
Zhou Qiming shook his head. "Xiao Tian will undoubtedly lose within ten moves. By defending without attacking, he has already lost in terms of momentum."
What Zhou Qiming did not mention was that his opponent had not mastered the Iron Cloth Skill. There were too many flaws and vulnerable points. Sooner or later, the Qingfeng Blade Technique would seize its opportunity.
The people from the various forces nearby all had different opinions, feeling that Zhou Qiming was spouting nonsense.
"What does a restaurant chef know about martial arts?"
"He's that youth Yuan Tieyi didn't take a liking to, isn't he? Looks like he's resentful and can't stand seeing Xiao Tian do well."
"Yang He's Qingfeng Blade is certainly powerful, but he's already sixty or seventy years old. His Blood Qi has declined, and his foundation is inferior to Xiao Tian's. If he can't defeat him after attacking for so long, he'll inevitably fall into a disadvantageous position."
Yet before the words had even left their mouths, Yang He first feinted with his blade, luring Xiao Tian into raising a hand to protect his eyes.
Who could have guessed that the slash had only been a false move? Xiao Tian did not sense any force behind the blade at all. Before he could think or react, a palm struck him heavily in the chest. Several ribs broke, and he spat blood as he was sent flying backward.
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